By Rakiya A.Muhammad and Ismail Adebayo
Two additional deaths due to meningitis have been reported in Sokoto State, bringing the death toll so far to 23.

Giving an update on the state of High Alert declared by the Ministry of Health, the state Health Commissioner, Dr Balarabe Kakale said the medical teams deployed across the state had treated 400 mixed cases of severe malaria and meningitis across the seven top-hit local government areas of Kebbe, Bodinga, Rabah, Wamakko, Gada, Dange/Shuni and Tureta, out of which 56 cases were confirmed in the laboratories to be cases of meningitis.

The commissioner assured that the cases were reducing, and stressed the need for people to avoid linking cases of meningitis to witchcraft or sorcery, and advised that all suspected cases be reported to the hospitals, as the state government had made provision for the free treatment of patients.

In Kebbi State, the Ministry of Health said it has put its epidemiological field staff on red alert as plans are on to immunize the general public against the spread of meningitis.

The Permanent Secretary in the Kebbi State Ministry of Health, Muhammmed Atiku Kende told our correspondent that the state traditional institutions and the members of the public had also been primed to report any suspected cases of CSM or other illnesses in any part of the state to the epidemiological field staff, Ministry of Health or any other health agencies in the state.

Three weeks ago four students died in the outbreak of meningitis at Fanah area of Suru in Kebbi State. The victims were students of the Government Secondary School in the area. The outbreak of the disease was also reported to have recorded casualties in Kamba and other areas.